Posts in Anniversaries

Five years ago, the global financial collapse extinguished some companies and changed the plot line for those that survived. It’s time to say happy anniversary to the Great Recession. Five years ago this week, Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, Bank of America purchased Merrill Lynch, AIG received a bailout and the Dow plummeted 504 points…

By Jason Dressel Companies routinely come to The History Factory and to historyfactory.com because they’re looking for ideas for their upcoming company anniversary. A common approach includes some combination of the following activities: Benchmarking what competitors have done Brainstorming ideas with an anniversary task force Just like how a boxer wins a match by landing…

Seven years ago, a creature from the depths of brain and hardwire left California, on its way to every corner of the Earth. The avian sensation landed in pop culture with such force it has yet to be replaced. What was once code transformed into billions of thoughts and messages—each one 140 characters or less….

By Jason Dressel Any corporation that is planning to mark an important milestone—whether 10 years or 150—needs to ensure that the messaging around the program is effective. Because corporate anniversaries are recognized at most every five or 10 years, and more likely every 25 or 50 years, it’s not like other marketing and communication programs,…

By Jason Dressel Companies routinely come to The History Factory and to historyfactory.com because they’re looking for ideas for their upcoming company anniversary. A common approach includes some combination of the following activities: Benchmarking what competitors have done Brainstorming ideas with an anniversary task force Just like how a boxer wins a match by landing…

For many organizations, the “corporate anniversary gift” is just going to be another trinket in their arsenal of stuff, when it should really be an authentic expression of the anniversary itself. By Jason Dressel When you think “corporate anniversary gifts,” what comes to mind? Probably something you’ve seen before with a logo on it. A mug. A courier bag. A jacket. Maybe…

The successful military operation that eliminated Osama Bin Laden on May 2 serves as a natural coda for the saga that began ten years ago. While there are still many outstanding issues in international affairs such as the war in Afghanistan and relations with Pakistan, in the collective American psyche a chapter of history has…

This week marks my 10th anniversary at The History Factory. Ten years is a long time to stay at one place, especially since it seems that today’s young professionals are likely to have several different careers over a 30-year span, let alone work for multiple companies in the same industry. I’ve been fortunate enough…

It’s Monday afternoon, and I’m composing this entry on my return flight to Washington from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. This was the 40th anniversary of Fest, which I’ve attended for the last twenty-one years. I’m suffering from an epic case of FestLag, a condition fueled by a healthy mixture of non-stop music,…

On November 10, 1951, Mayor M. Leslie Downing of Englewood, New Jersey, picked up a phone and dialed 10 digits. After 18 seconds he connected with Mayor Frank Osborne in Alameda, California. It was a milestone moment in the history of the telephone—even though the first phone call had been made 75 years earlier. Why?…